A clay bar is an engineered, clay-like product that pulls contaminants like water spots, brake dust, metal dust, industrial pollution and road grit from your clear coat. When used with a clay lubricant, these contaminants come loose from your car and get stuck safely in the clay so they don’t damage your clear coat.
Although using a clay bar on your car is an essential part of detailing, it shouldn’t be done unless absolutely necessary. The clay bar has a specific job – to remove bonded contaminants from your paint. Even when used properly, it should be considered a necessary evil since it can be abrasive.
Does car clay remove scratches?
A clay bar does NOT remove any scratches from the surface of the paint because it contains no abrasives. A clay bar is useful for when a car’s paint feels rough and is no longer smooth to the touch as it can help restore that nice smooth feeling you once knew and loved.
My personal preference is to wash and dry the vehicle and then use a dedicated spray detailer formulated for detailing clay and clay the car using a dedicated claying process and after claying each section, wipe the section clean and dry using a microfiber polishing cloth.
Do you have to wax after clay bar?
A wax or sealant should always be applied to the car after using a clay bar. The clay bar will remove any old protection so a wax or sealant needs to be applied to ensure the paintwork is protected to help keep it clean and free from contaminants and UV rays.
What is polishing clay?
Clay is a substance used to remove contaminants that have bonded to a car’s paintwork, whilst polish, on the other hand, is used to remove a layer of paint to make the paint glossier. Polishing should be performed after claying to remove any marring inflicted by the clay.
Which is better clay bar or clay mitt?
First, since clay bars tend to be smaller, you get less use out of them. They typically last up to about 20 applications, while clay mitts can last closer to 100. In addition, you have to keep clay bars covered with plastic or inside a container so they don’t dry out, while clay mitts don’t need to be covered at all.
What liquid do you use with clay bar?
One can either use a quick detailer product or a water/automotive wash solution as a lubricant during the clay bar process. Here at AQS we fill a clean wash bucket with fresh water and automotive wash solution and use a fresh wash mitt to lubricate our surface and clay.
Car shampoo or soapy water is a decent clay lube and will work just fine for your daily driver.
Can I use dish soap as a clay bar lubricant?
The Quick Answer. Car shampoo mixed with water, clay lubricant detailer sprays, and waterless wash products are the best options to use as a clay bar lubricant. Do not use dish soap, household products, IPA, or traffic film removers as they can damage the paint and the clay.
Can you use water as claybar lube?
Not Really. The fact of the matter is that water on its own isn’t enough to act as a lubricant for clay. As water is not “slick”, it will not allow the clay to glide over the paint with ease.
Can you use Quick Detailer as clay lube?
Synthetic Quick Detailer doubles as a slick and effective clay bar lube for unmatched versatility when detailing any car.
Does Claying remove wax?
Removing your car’s wax, sealant or coating prior to claying will help the clay bar fully remove the contaminants without being impaired by the paint protection layer. However, in most cases the clay will be capable of removing both the wax/ sealant/ coating, as well as the contaminants.
Do you have to clay bar before polishing?
When Should You Use The Clay Bar? The detailer’s rule of thumb is to always decontaminate the surface with a clay bar before putting on a new coat of wax, or polishing any exterior paintwork. Those foreign particles block wax from sticking to the paint, making it last for a shorter time and not shine as bright.
When you’re finished claying your car, you may need to wash it to remove any lubricant film. If you plan to use a pre-wax cleaner polish, it will remove clay residue so there’s no need to wash. Last but not least, after using clay, seal your freshly cleaned paint with your choice of wax or sealant.
How often should you clay bar?
Although there’s no specific schedule to clay bar your car, you must do this at least 2 to 3 times a year. How often you clean your car will determine the grade you use. To be on the safer side, try being more conservative with the grades, especially when you’re not entirely sure.
Do you clay bar before or after wash?
Timing is Key – When to Clay Bar
Claying should always come after a good wash. You want to get as much of the dirt out as possible, by scrubbing and brushing and scrubbing some more. Your choice of cleaning agent will also ensure that your vehicle is ready for the use of a clay bar.
Do I need to dry car before Claying?
I have always dried the car before claying it. I have found if you clay the car when its wet, your towel for drying up the clay lube gets saturated faster and i find that more annoying than taking the time to dry it first personally. BUT if you plan to wash it again after claying, then you don’t even need to wipe.